A century of Swiss Winter Sports Posters

At the end of the 19th century, Switzerland saw the development of two phenomena that nothing seemed to bring together, winter sports and artistic posters. The former find in the geography and climate of the country an incomparably favorable environment, the latter take advantage of the dynamism of talented artists to flourish and develop in an extraordinary movement of creativity. Faced with the necessities of commerce and advertising, the two meet and lead to the production, over more than a century, of thousands of posters, many of which, by their quality, pay tribute not only to winter sports but also to the beauty of the mountain and the genius of those who made them. The best Swiss designers are present and the Swiss resorts are celebrated. This exceptional work, widely illustrated, significantly enriches knowledge of the field and offers the amateur the opportunity to marvel at the contact with quality works of art which, despite sometimes a century of age, remain as fresh as on the first day. Jean-Charles Giroud, curator for many years of the collection of posters of the Library of Geneva, has already written many books and studies on the Swiss poster. He is now director of this institution.